1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to coupling of conduits.
2. Discussion of the Background Art
Couplings are used for allowing conduits adapted for conducting a medium to communicate. Known are, for example, light guides or fluid conduits for conducting light or a fluid, for example a liquid. A capillary, for example, can serve as a fluid conduit and as a light guide. Flow cells, for example, for analyzing a fluid can comprise a fluid conduit and a light guide. Flow cells can comprise different conduits communicating via one or more connections.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,526,188 B2 and the US 2001/0010747 show a modular flow cell having a high optical throughput, a long optical path length and a small cross-section. The modular flow cell configuration includes remote ports or connections for liquid and light input and liquid and light output.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,807 shows a flow-through cell for use in the measurement of chemical properties of small volumes of fluid containing dissolved analytes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,608,517 discloses a coated flow cell and a method for making the coated flow cell. The flow cell comprises a flow passage, wherein light directed into the flow cell is internally reflected down the flow passage.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,236,602 discloses flow cells and holders therefore, the calorimetric examination of a liquid to determine the quantity of a substance present in the liquid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,186 discloses a photometric cuvette for optical analyses of through-flowing medium, made as a thin and narrow transparent tube requiring minimum sample amounts. Light, substantially parallel to the tube length, is led obliquely into the tube through its wall, is reflected and is led obliquely out through the tube wall to a detector.
EP 008915781 discloses an optical detector cell for determining the presence of a solute in a sample fluid. The optical detector cell includes a sample tube, inlet and outlet means for the sample fluid, and a first and second optical waveguides for passing a beam of light axially through the sample tube.
GB 2193313 A discloses an apparatus and method for measuring the spectral absorbance of fluid samples. The length of the light path through the sample is adjusted to optimize the amount of light absorbed by the sample.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,281,975 B1 shows a bent capillary flow cell with protruding end bulbs coaxial with centreline of an elongated centre cylindrical section of capillary tubing. The bulbs provide a high light throughput entrance window for the cell.